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| A Model of one of several possible KF-X Designs |
By Jung Sung-ki
SEOUL, South Korea — Only six months after Seoul’s KF-X fighter program took off, the state project valued at about US $15 billion faces a crash over tech transfer issues with the US government.
The KF-X is linked to Lockheed Martin’s sale of 40 F-35As to South Korea under the F-X III program through the Foreign Military sales process. Lockheed Martin offered to provide 21 technologies required to build the KF-X fighter jet as part of F-X III offset deals. The US aircraft giant was also selected as the main partner to build KF-X with Korea Aerospace Industries.
At the request of Seoul’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), Lockheed Martin also agreed to consult with the US government over the transfer of four more technologies related to the active electronically scanned radar (AESA), electro-optical targeting pod, infrared search-and-rescue systems, and radio frequency jammer.
In April, however, the DAPA received notice of the refusal to transfer the four technologies, according DAPA officials.
“We were trying to secure the US export license of those technologies but failed to get them,” Lt. Gen. Park Shin-kyu, head of DAPA’s procurement business bureau, said. “Instead, we’ll seek ways of obtaining those technologies from other countries or through local developments.”
The general hinted the KF-X timeline could be further delayed from 2025 without the US tech transfer.
Read the full story at DefenseNews